Patriots banking on versatility of Burkhead

Sunday

Aug 6, 2017 at 6:02 PMAug 6, 2017 at 6:02 PM

Rich GarvenTelegram & Gazette

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots placed big bets in the offseason on Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee to offset the departure of running back LeGarrette Blount and his league-leading 18 rushing touchdowns last season.

Burkhead, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals, signed a one-year deal worth upward of $3.15 million in March. Gillislee landed here a month later after the Buffalo Bills failed to match a two-year, $6.4-million offer sheet to retain the restricted free agent.

Both backs are entering their fifth NFL season, so they have experience as pros. The gamble is the experience is limited. Burkhead has 87 carries and 34 receptions in 42 career games. Gillislee checks in at 154 carries and 15 receptions in 23 games.

What they do have in excess is the confidence of the coaching staff in New England.

“They’ve had sort of backup roles, but they’ve been very productive when they’ve been on the field,” running backs coach Ivan Fears said on the eve of training camp. “That’s kind of the key to it; they’re guys who have shown they do have what it takes.

“We’re going to try to give them a little more opportunity to show that and if they can then they’ll be the guy who is out there. But, like anything, they have to earn it.”

With the 10th practice of camp scheduled for Monday (9:15 a.m.) following a day off, it appears Burkhead is on track to be the lead back in an offense overflowing with talent.

The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Burkhead is neither as big nor as fast as Blount, but he’s solidly built, has sufficient speed and adequate elusiveness, and is more versatile due to his ability as a blocker and a receiver.

Burkhead undoubtedly caught the attention of the Patriots when he established career-highs with 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27 carries in his first career start last season in Week 17. He’s willing and able to do whatever is asked of him.

“Whatever role the coaches want to put me, like I said, I feel I can do multiple things, but (I'm) just going to go out there and give it my best,” he said recently. “Whatever way that is, the power run game, splitting out or whatever, I’m just going to do the best I can to help this team.”

Burkhead had a career-high 17 receptions in 16 games last year, matching the total number of catches Blount had in 33 games over the last three seasons with the Patriots. What makes the figure especially impressive is it came on 20 targets.

“It was something growing up … my dad was a coach, he played football, and he always preached to me that I can’t be one-dimensional and I’ve got to be able to catch the ball as well,” said Burkhead, who was born in Kentucky and raised just outside of Dallas. “It’s something I always took pride in.”

Burkhead, who graduated from Nebraska in 3½ years with a history degree, is continually becoming more confident in the offense.

Some of that is due to gaining more experience on the field with his teammates during the day and some of it is a result of the work he’s put on his own at night.

“It’s something as a professional you’re asked to do and me being in my fifth year, that’s something that’s expected of me,” Burkhead said. “To know what I’m doing when I’m out there and make sure I’m ahead of my studies the night before or whenever, so when I get out there and step on the field I know what I’m doing.”

While Burkhead projects as the lead back, the Patriots are expected to distribute the rushing workload more than last season when Blount finished second in the league with 299 carries.

Gillislee established across-the-board career-highs with 101 carries, 577 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He’s going to get his share of totes, especially in goal-line and short-yardage situations.

James White earned an opportunity to get more carries after his rushing heroics — six carries, 29 yards and 2 TDs along with a conversion — in Super Bowl LI. And Dion Lewis, with a career average of 4.6 yards a rush, should also be in the mix as he’s fully recovered from a torn ACL 21 months ago.

And, Burkhead noted, each of the backs can do more than run the ball.

“It’s just a bunch of versatile guys, guys that can run inside, catch the ball out of the backfield, catch the ball split out,” he said. “All the backs bring something to the table and are able to do multiple things. I mean, you have to be able to in this offense.”

It’s an offense that has the potential to be frighteningly productive, especially if the offseason bets the Patriots placed on Burkhead and Gillislee pay off.

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